Stories You Can Use in Tomorrow's Speech!

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Monthly Archives: April 2015

Mark Twain had a clever and often humorous way to make a point through his stories. He told of a Missouri farmer who ran five times for the state legislature without winning. It wasn’t because he didn’t practice his speeches. He practiced his campaign talks every day while milking. He referred to himself as “my humble aspirant.” He referred to his audiences as “my enlightened constituents.” He talked of “obtaining a mandate” for his “legislative mission.” He did not understand the concept of being concise.

Then one day even his cow balked at these speeches and kicked him in the teeth. With his front teeth knocked out, the farmer could speak only words of one syllable. The result was he won his next election and kept getting reelected.